Rock band
Rock group (or later
rock band) is a generic name to describe a group of
musicians specializing in a particular form of electronically amplified
music. Deriving its name from the musical style which was its immediate progenitor,
rock and roll, the type of music played by
rock groups has its roots deeply steeped in both rock and roll, and its immediate forebear,
rhythm and blues. In Britain of the early 1960s the term
rock group was in universal use, but as
psychedelia approached the name band came into vogue, typified by
The Band. A rock group or band tends to have a heavy focus on certain instruments, principally
electric guitar,
bass guitar, and
drums (prime examples of this are
The Kinks,
The Who,
Cream,
The Jimi Hendrix Experience, or more recently
Nirvana), with
keyboard instruments such as
electronic organs being featured from the outset by groups such as
Manfred Mann and
The Animals. Later in the
1960s, rock bands such as
The Who,
Pink Floyd and
Hawkwind experimented with electric organs and
synthesizers. Other instruments deployed within the context of a rock band include the
electric violin (as used by
Curved Air,
Dave Matthews Band or
Yellowcard) and the
flute (as played by
Ian Anderson of
Jethro Tull, among others).
A rock group or band usually consists of at least four musical roles:
*
lead singer*
guitarist*
bass guitarist*
drummer or/and
percussionistSometimes, however, a lead singer can be replaced or joined by a lead guitarist, who plays counter melodies and performs most of the solos. In many instances, the singer may play an instrument, creating a trio.
Many rock bands also include a
rhythm guitarist and
keyboardist, who work with the bassist and the drummer in the
rhythm section. The role of these instruments is to identify and play chords and chordal accompaniment for the soloist and to merge with the overall groove of the rhythm section.
The lead singer may also play an instrument while singing, most commonly the guitar or bass guitar. When the
lead singer role is taken by one of the other primary musical roles, the group is termed a trio or a
power trio (such as
The Police or
Cream or more modern examples such as
Nirvana,
Green Day or
Alkaline Trio.
Some bands may have multiple lead singers (such as Pink Floyd, The
Eagles, and
The Beatles, as well as more modern bands such as
blink-182 or the
Goo Goo Dolls). Still others will add background vocals, sung by other instrumentalists or dedicated singers.
If there is an addition of instruments from other areas of music, such as stringed instruments like a
violin or
cello, or horns like
trumpets or
trombones, the band is seen as diverging too far from the main four roles, this creates a tendency to classify the group not as a rock band, but with a genre seen as more specific than "rock" (e.g.
ska or
progressive rock).
While some rock bands may add several additional singers and instrumentalists, they hardly ever lose the four primary roles. One notable exception, however, is
The White Stripes, who consist of only a drummer and a guitarist/singer.
*
rhythm section*
rock music*
Rock Hall of Fame*
San Francisco Rock and Roll Hall of Fame*[
1]
